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Though it’s generally considered one of Europe’s friendliest countries, owing to its generosity and warm Spanish culture, Spain has been rocked by a number of anti- tourism protests recently.
Locals on Tenerife’s well-known hotel island have also advised visitors to “go home.”
Some Spaniards believe that overtourism is to blame for their rising living costs. In contrast, we do n’t blame visitors for feeling like they’re being chased out of Spain because of the crazy fines for sleeping on beaches and staying in hotels in Barcelona’s central business district.
Despite this, not all of Spain is strong on lowering travel rates:
If you enjoy the Tuscan countryside and the historic stitched towns that appear to relate in an depicted storybook, Castilla- La Mancha is definitely for you.
This Is What Spain’s Forgotten Middle Looks Like
Located in the middle of Spain, it’s a bridge nation of the sorts: it borders a number of much more developed, commercially- important regions, like Andalusia, Aragon, Castile and León, and even the capital Madrid, yet it’s usually bypassed by a majority of tourists.
You’re unlikely to encounter the usual swarms of British and German tourist you’d typically find in Sitges, Malaga, and the like because it does n’t cross the Mediterranean nor the Atlantic coasts of Spain.
Many like Tuscany produces some of Italy’s best- famous wines, Castilla- La Mancha is one of Spain’s capitals of wines, with a major concentration of ‘ bodegas’, including the award- winning Domino de Casalta, Hacienda Vallarta and Alto de Pioz.
Wine- tasting tours are a big draw for oenophiles going off the beaten track, and starting from Madrid, which is a little one- hour drive ahead, you can discover the territory’s highlights, including a stop at a vineyard, from simply$ 69 on Get Your Guide.
Castilla- La Mancha is a huge province, however, Spain’s third- largest, at that, and you’ll want to dedicate more than a single day to exploring its hidden gems if you want to truly do it justice:
Historic Medieval Towns That Are Still Perfectly Preserved
If you’re arriving from Madrid, you’re likely to pass through Toledo first: the regional capital, this ancient city perched on a high hill overlooking La Mancha’s plains has a preserved historic center, still surrounded by walls, and a wealth of Arab and Christian monuments.
For those of you who are unaware, Spain was ruled by a number of Arab dynasties for a number of centuries before it was reconquered by Christian kings. Along with Seville and Granada, Toledo is one of the best examples of Muslim city-building in Europe.
Other important cities include Cuenca, yet another walled settlement resting on a vertiginous limestone formation, Albacete, dominated by a well- preserved medieval castle, Guadalajara––the original one, not the one in Mexico––founded as early as the Roman period, and Ciudad Real:
The” Royal City” of Castilla- La Mancha is probably where visitors are spending the majority of their time: it is home to a Baroque Old Town, a Quixote Museum, Miguel de Cervantes ‘ magnum opus of a novel, and Gothic churches richly decorated in Moorish motifs.
These are the location of those legendary Spanish windmills!
Speaking of Don Quixote, the most easily- recognized symbol of La Mancha are the white windmills scattered across an arid hinterland, featured on the Cervantes classic, in order to see them, you’ll need to drive one hour south of Ciudad Real to Consuegra.
The notorious scene in which the wayward knight mistake Consuegra’s 12 windmills, which are spread along a ridge for an army of giants, is confused and sets off against them is affluently inspired by the small settlement.
The mills are in a near-perfect state of preservation, with some of the stone walls and blades dating back as far back as the 16th century. Similar to Toledo, they can be easily reached by car if you’re booking a Quijote Windmills day tour, with prices starting at an affordable$ 62 per person.
La Mancha Costs Much Less To Visit Than Other Areas Of Spain.
Castilla- La Mancha is typically much more affordable than other Spanish destinations that are trendier and, well, coastal, and is Spain’s response to Tuscany with its sleepy villages and family-owned vineyards.
On average, tourists spend$ 42 per day on meals, as there’s an abundance of inexpensive restaurants where a lunchtime menu costs from$ 15, including a starter and a main dish, or a main dish and dessert, as well as a soft drink, and a tapas appetizer in a snack bar average$ 6.
Hotels are fairly cheap, too, at least for European standards: in central Toledo, Hotel Sercotel Alfonso VI costs$ 65 to book per night this summer, and it goes even cheaper at Hotel Carlos V, with room rates starting from$ 55.
Overnights in Ciudad Real fall within the same price range: Hotel Santa Cecilia will set you back$ 62 per night, and even four- star Exe Doña Carlota is a very- reasonable$ 59, or$ 73 if you’re including breakfast.
Overall, you’re looking at a travel budget of$ 928 for a one- week trip to Castilla- La Mancha, based on Budget Your Trip estimates.
And La Mancha Wants You To Visit, And The Best Part Is…
If you’re convinced to skip Barcelona altogether and instead travel to this location, you’ll be delighted to learn that Castilla- La Mancha wants more visitors, which contrasts with the majority of sunny Spanish destinations:
Emiliano Garcia-Palatin, president of Castilla- La Mancha, has reiterated the importance of visitors to the area and pledged that the tourism industry” will not stop growing” in the coming years in spite of negative reactions elsewhere in Spain.
Garcia- Page went on to say the industry is not a threat, but an opportunity for the territory, and went as far as calling it’ essential’: last year, La Mancha hosted a 2.8 million tourists, a regional record, but less- than- impressive figures compared to other communities in Spain.
In other words, overtourism is far from being a major concern for authorities here, and if anything, they’re encouraging visitors to come and see it for themselves:
No, it does not have a beach, and resorts are certainly not at the front of the tourism offer, but the Mediterranean coast of Spain does not have La Mancha’s gorgeous natural scenery, amazing wine, UNESCO- listed Toledo, the fairytale villages and postcard- perfect windmills, either.